Chapter 7: Falling Star

Henry stopped running when he noticed Mandy wasn't following him. He knew Mandy needed help with controlling her magic and someone to talk to about it. She didn't want to talk to Henry about magic, she made that obvious. He realized she needed to talk to someone who would understand, someone who had magic and Regina was the obvious person to go to for help. He walked to Regina's house and knocked on the door, hoping she was home. When Regina opened the door, she was so happy to see Henry on the other side.

"Henry, I'm so happy you stopped by." She said as she shut the door behind him and gave him a hug.

"I need your help." He said rather urgently.

"What is it Henry?" She asked concerned. "Did something happen? Are you hurt?"

"No, not me. Mandy." He said walking into the living room to sit down.

"What's wrong with Miranda?" She asked worriedly as she followed Henry into the living room.

"I think she needs help controlling her magic, or someone to talk to about it."

"Why do you think that?" She asked.

"I asked her a question and she totally flipped out and sent me flying through the air. I'm not hurt though, so don't worry. But I want you to talk to her and see if everything is okay with her."

"She doesn't know me well enough. She won't tell me anything."

"Can you at least try?" He pleaded. Regina was desperate to get to know her daughter better and she thought this would be a golden opportunity to do so.

"I'll try my best. Send her over." She said smiling.

"I'll tell her you want to talk to her." He said getting up from the couch and started walking towards the door.

"You don't want to stay longer?" She asked wondering where he was going.

"I have to talk Mandy and try to convince her to talk to you…it might take a while."

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked curious to see where her daughter lived.

"It's better if I go alone. She might think I'm forcing you on her and she might reject you. We wouldn't want that."

"No, we wouldn't…Good luck then!" She said giving him a hug and watched as he ran from the house.

Emma was sitting at a booth in a diner. She just got off the phone with Snow, explaining the weird situation with Neal being Henry's father and also Rumplestiltskin's son. She ordered hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon on top. She didn't feel like dealing with Neal. She just wanted to get back to Storybrooke and not think about her past. Neal spotted her through the window and went inside to join her. Emma was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice Neal come through the door. It wasn't until he sat down across from her that she noticed he was there at all.

"Oh no, not you!" she whined.

"I see you still like cinnamon with your hot chocolate." He said smiling.

"What do you want Neal?" She muttered.

"I want to know about my son. Please tell me about him!" He begged.

"He's smart, adorable, sneaky, likes to make 'operation names' for every mission. That's all I got." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"That's it!" He exclaimed.

"I only just met him a few months ago, I'm still getting to know him myself." She shot back.

"What do you mean you just met him?" He asked confused.

"I gave him up for adoption when he was born." She said flatly.

"Why did you do that?" He asked angrily.

"I was 18, in jail, and alone. I wasn't exactly in the best condition to raise a child." She yelled, causing a few eyes to look in their direction.

"I'm sorry about that. I really am." He muttered.

"I wanted to give Henry his best chance and I thought adoption was the right decision." She whispered.

"Was it?"

"Ye sand no." She replied.

"What the hell does that mean?" He asked confused. He just wanted a straight answer for once.

"He was adopted by the mayor of Storybrooke…"

"The same town my father is from?" Neal interrupted.

"Yes. Storybrooke is full of the people from our world and other worlds, like Neverland."

"Does that mean Hook is there?" He asked.

"How do you know Hook?" She asked.

"This wasn't the first world I've been to. If it were, I'd be a few hundred years old." He said laughing.

"Alright, this is just getting weird." She exclaimed.

Neal laughed. "Continue your story."

"Well this mayor just happened to be the Evil Queen who enacted the curse that brought everyone here in the first place, not to mention she hates me and my entire family. Especially my mother, Snow White, for reasons I'm not entirely too sure of."

"I'm so confused. So Henry's adoptive mother is also his step-grandmother?" He asked.

"Um, I guess so. I never really thought of it that way."

"You're gonna have to draw me a freaking family tree. I'm so confused." He said.

"I think I might need one myself." She laughed.

"So did she hurt him?" He asked.

"No, she loves him. She is fighting to get him back. He is with my parents now."

"It sounds like he had an alright childhood. When can I meet him?"

"Never." She said simply.

"What! Why?"

"Because I don't want you in his life or mine." She answered.

"You really don't have a choice now, do you?"

"I thought you weren't coming. You can't just leave your fiancé. You said so yourself!" She replied.

"I can leave for a few days."

"But then you would be leaving again…resulting in Henry being disappointed. I don't want you to break another innocent heart." She whispered angrily.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I'll try to convince Tamara to come with us."

"You can't bring her! There's magic in Storybrooke, who knows what crazy things will happen. She can't see that!" She hissed.

"I'll figure something out, but I am coming with you." He said getting up from the table and walking out the door, leaving Emma alone at the table.

"Just what I need, more drama!" She said before taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

Mandy was pissed at Tink for mentioning Wendy to Henry. She was going to talk some sense into the little pixie. Mandy noticed Tink talking to Tiger Lily over by a tree. She stormed over to them and began screaming.

"Why did you tell Henry about Wendy?" Mandy screamed at Tink.

"I barely told him anything and I specifically told him not to say or ask you anything." She yelled back.

"I'm just gonna go now." Tiger Lily backed away slowly before running away from the scene.

"Well he did and now he wants to know everything that happened." Mandy said, ignoring Tiger Lily.

"I'm sorry." Tink said apologetically.

"Peter and the boys can not hear her name. If they do, it will trigger those memories and I can't have that happening." She warned.

"You mean, they don't remember her?" Tink questioned.

"Right. For some reason they don't remember her…and I intend to keep it that way."

They kept talking as Tiger Lily made her way further and further away from the scene. She noticed Henry making his way over a few rocks.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" She asked running over to him.

"I need to talk to Mandy. Do you know where she is?" He questioned.

"She is in one of her moods. I don't think it's a good time to talk to her." She replied.

"I might've had something to do with that one." He admitted.

"She seemed pretty pissed when I left her yelling at Tink."

"I didn't want her to blame Tink." He whined. "I need to talk to her."

"She's down there." She said pointing in the direction she just came from. "Past those trees.

"Thank you." He began walking but turned when Tiger Lily asked him a question.

"Will you be around later?"

"Yea, I should be after I talk to Mandy." He replied.

"Would you want to hangout?"

"I would love too. Would you be allowed to go to the playground?"

"Yea. Come find me when you're done talking to Mandy."

"Sounds good." Henry turned and continued his way towards Mandy. He saw her yelling at Tink.

"Stop yelling at her! It's not her fault!" He screamed coming down the hill.

"Would you excuse us Tink?" Mandy asked. Tink nodded and left.

"Henry, I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. I don't know why, but I keep having these random mood swings."

"I've noticed. Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No offense Henry but I don't think you can help me." She sighed.

"Not me. Regina." He replied.

"Regina? You really think she could help me?" She questioned.

"Would you rather Rumplestiltskin to help you?"

"No, definitely not! I think I'll try Regina. Do you think she is home?"

"Yea, I already told her you might stop by." He said smiling.

"You did! Why?" She hissed.

"Calm down. I just told her that you might need someone to talk to. I think it might help." He said trying to ease the tension that was slowly building between them.

"I'm sorry, I know you're just trying to help. We can head over now."

"Oh, I'm not coming with you." He said.

"Why not?" She asked.

"I think it would be better if you two just talk. Besides, I'm meeting Tiger Lily."

"o0o0o, Sounds like a date!" She said flashing a devious smile.

"It's not a date! We are just hanging out!" He yelled, getting all defensive.

"Is it just you two?" She asked.

"Yea."

"It's a date." She smiled.

"It's not a date and Regina is waiting for you." He said angrily.

"I'm going, I'm going." She said as she began walking towards Regina's house. "Have fun on your date!" She screamed back to him.

"It's not a date." He muttered under his breath and stomped away in search of Tiger Lily.

Emma walked back to Neal's apartment, hoping they could get back to Storybrooke soon. She was tired of all this drama and she just wanted to sleep. She opened the door to Neal's apartment and saw Gold in the same spot she left him in.

"Did you just sit there the entire time we were out?" Emma asked.

"Is that a problem, Miss Swan?" He replied.

"No, just weird. Seems to run in the family." She said.

"I had a lot to think about." Gold said.

"You and I both…Are we heading back to Storybrooke anytime soon?" She whined.

"Bae is packing up a few things and we will be on our way." He answered back.

"So he's definitely coming?"

"It appears that way." He said.

"Ready!" Neal said coming from the bedroom with a suitcase in his hand.

"Great! This should be fun!" She said sarcastically. "Let's go! The quicker we get outta here, the quicker we get back to Storybrooke. " She said as she walked out the door.

"Was she always eager to leave places?" Gold questioned.

"Only when she didn't like the place she was at." He answered as he headed out the door and down to Emma's car where she was waiting.

"Put your stuff in the trunk and get in." She said quickly as she opened the driver side door and sat down, starting the car.

Neal leaned on the passenger side and poked his head through the open window. "You know, I was thinking we could stop in Boston. Maybe do some sight-seeing?" He suggested.

"You can, but I'm leaving you there." She replied.

"I was only kidding." He said as he opened the car door and sat down in the front seat. Gold came down the stairs slower than before because his leg was bothering him.

"Is everything okay, Papa?" Neal asked Gold as he got in the car.

"It's just my leg. I'll be fine." He replied.

"Finally, back to Storybrooke!" Emma yelled.

"I'd never thought I'd hear you say that, Miss Swan!" Gold said.

"Neither did I." She answered back as she pulled out of her parking spot and started for Storybrooke, Maine.

After his talk with Mandy, Henry began searching for Tiger Lily. He started to become nervous because he really liked her and this was kinda like a date. He saw her sitting on a rock. He took a deep breath and walked over to her.

"Henry, I didn't expect you so soon." She said with a surprised look on her face.

"My talk with Mandy went better than expected. She went to talk to Regina. Maybe now she will be able to control her magic better." He said as he climbed the rock to sit next to her.

"I hope so! Those mood swings of hers were beginning to get out of control." She confessed.

"I know! I'll keep you updated!" He said.

"Thanks. Are you ready to go?" She asked.

"I don't really feel like going to the playground anymore. Can we just sit here and hangout?"

"That's fine with me." She said. She didn't really feel like going to the playground anyway. "So what should we talk about?"

"Could you tell me about Neverland and your tribe?" Henry asked hoping she would say yes. She did. They talked for about two hours when they noticed it was getting late.

"Well enough about me, tell me about yourself." She said.

"There's not much to tell. My life is pretty boring." He sighed.

"I find you interesting. I like you Henry." She said smiling.

"Really?" He asked shocked. She nodded. "I like you too Tiger Lily." They both leaned in for a kiss. Once they pulled apart from each other, their faces turned red. They both looked down, not wanting to make eye contact.

Tiger Lily finally faced Henry after a few seconds of awkward silence. "I don't have much time. It's getting late and I have to get back.

"Yea, me too! I think I missed curfew again." Henry sighed.

"Well that's not good." Tiger Lily said.

"Yea, I know. It's been happening a lot lately… Oh well. When can I see you again?" He asked.

"Tomorrow, by the docks? 2pm okay?" She asked.

"I'll be there." They went their separate ways, both smiling. They had just received their first kiss.

Mandy took the long way to Regina's house. She wasn't ready to talk just yet, she had to think of everything she wanted to say or ask her. Nothing was coming to mind though. By the time she reached the front door, the sun was setting. She knocked and a rush of nervousness came over her. She didn't know why she was nervous, she had met Regina before. She began playing with her hair. A bunch of thoughts were running through her head when Regina opened the door.

"Miranda, I've been expecting you. Please come in." She walked in, waiting in the hall for Regina. Regina noticed how pretty her daughter looked with makeup on and her long, thick curls pouring over her shoulders. The makeup made her look a little older than 15, Regina knew her mother wouldn't approve of Mandy's style. The clip she wore in her hair to hold her bangs in place, with a red bow on it, made Mandy look like the little girl Regina imagined she would look like. This image brought up so many memories Regina wished she had of her daughter growing up. It made her sad to think of everything she had missed.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Mandy said shyly.

"You're not, dear. Please have a seat." She said motioning to the couch. They both sat down, crossing their legs.

"So Henry tells me you have a question about magic."

"Yea, a few actually." Mandy admitted.

"Well I'm here to help." Regina said smiling.

"I was wondering if you could teach me magic?" She blurted out. Regina wasn't ready for that question. She was expecting something easier like 'how to make something appear or disappear'. She didn't know how much this girl knew about magic, but she seemed to know a good amount.

"I'm trying to give it up…for Henry." Regina answered.

"I know. I am too…for my own reasons. But I've been having random outbursts and I can't seem to control my magic." She sighed.

"Yes, I heard about your little incident with Henry earlier." She admitted.

"He told you?" Regina nodded. "I told him I was sorry and I really am!" Mandy promised.

"I know dear. I trust you." She said. "You haven't entirely learned the craft, have you?"

"No, I was in the middle of my training when the curse was cast and Rumple was locked away in Snow White's dungeon so he couldn't teach me." She replied.

"He taught you?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Yea. To be honest…he scares me." She put her head down, not wanting to look at Regina.

"Don't worry, dear. I won't let him hurt you." As soon as she said those words, she realized that might have sounded weird since they only just met and Mandy didn't know Regina was her mother.

"You won't?" She asked as she picked her head up to look at Regina.

"No, I won't. I like you… and you're Henry's friend." She replied.

"Thank You! That means a lot to me. I've never really had someone to look after me before." Regina's face turned to sadness. Her daughter had grown up all alone, with no one to protect or love her. Regina was still pissed at her mother for doing this. "Peter, did for a little while though." Mandy admitted.

"Who's Peter? Someone I should know about?" Regina asked giving Mandy a little nudge and a smile.

"He's my boyfriend." She blushed.

Before Regina could ask another question, her mother's voice was heard from the hallway. "Regina, do you have any…oh, I didn't know you had company." Cora said when she saw the young girl on the couch.

Regina introduced the two. "Mother, this is Miranda. Miranda, my mother, Cora." Mandy stood up and walked over to Cora.

"Nice to meet you." Mandy said extending her hand. Cora shook the young girl's hand, eying the necklace she placed around her neck many years ago.

"You must be Henry's little friend." Mandy nodded.

Cora began twirling Mandy's hair. "You remind me so much of Regina when she was your age." Regina shot her a look.

"I do?!" Mandy asked enthusiastically. Cora nodded. Mandy turned around and smiled at Regina. Regina couldn't help but smile back.

"What brings you by, dear?" Cora asked Mandy.

Regina walked over and placed her hands on Mandy's shoulders. "She had a few questions about magic that she needed answered." Regina responded.

"I see. Did Regina answer them?" Cora asked.

"We didn't get that far." Mandy whispered.

"Mother, don't you have something to do?" Regina asked hoping her mother would go away.

"Not anymore. Please, continue with your questions." Cora said, walking over to the couch and sitting down.

"Well I wanted to find out why I was having random mood swings and why I'm not able to control my magic." Mandy blurted out to Cora.

"How long have these mood swings been happening, dear?" She asked.

"I was about 12. That's when I started showing signs of magic." Mandy responded.

"That's awful young." Regina said.

"Not is she's the Falling Star." Cora said simply.

"The what?" Regina and Mandy both asked in unison as they crossed their arms.

Cora noticed the resemblance between her daughter and granddaughter and couldn't help but smile. "The Falling Star. I don't like to repeat myself so pay attention the first time."

"Henry told me my last name means 'Falling Star'." Mandy said.

"Then you are definitely it, dear. Congratulations!" Cora exclaimed.

"Is that something to be proud of?" Mandy asked.

"Oh honey! You don't even know how much power you have." Cora said. Regina looked from her mother to her daughter with a worried look on her face. She didn't want her daughter getting involved in whatever her mother was planning. She knew Cora was power hungry and with this new knowledge about her daughter, there was no telling what Cora was planning to do.

"I do?" Mandy asked. Cora nodded.

"Wait a minute. Please explain what being the 'Falling Star' means." Regina demanded. "There is always a price to be paid when it comes to using magic."

"With every Savior, there is a Falling Star. They are the only two that can rip the others heart out. They are also the only ones that can save the other if they were dying." Cora said simply.

"So Emma is the only one that can kill me?" Mandy asked.

"I didn't say that. She is the only one that can take your heart and either crush it or control you with it. There are other ways to kill a person." Mandy's face turned pale.

Regina noticed the frightened look on Mandy's face. "I think we should talk about something else." Regina suggested.

"No!" Mandy yelled causing both Regina and Cora to jump by her sudden outburst. "I need to know everything! Please continue Cora."

"She can save you if something were to happen." Cora said.

"So say she gets a bad scrape or burn, Emma is the only one who could heal it?" Regina asked.

"No, you and I can do that. We just can't save her if she were dying. She could also heal herself." Cora responded.

"No, I actually can't. I can heal others, but not myself. Rumple never taught me that part." Mandy admitted.

"Why am I not surprised he had a hand in your magic background as well." Cora said leaning her head on her hand.

"What do you mean?" Mandy asked with a confused look on her face.

"Nothing dear. Mother, get back to explaining." Regina commanded.

"The Savior is born from true love, as is the Falling Star; with a slight catch." Cora said.

"Of course there is!" Regina sighed.

"The Savior has light magic, the pure magic, but the Falling Star has both light and dark magic running through them."

"How can that be? I thought it could only be one or the other." Regina exclaimed.

"The Falling Star is a rare exception. She was born from true love but dark magic runs through one of her parents." Regina knew it came from her and Cora before her.

"With both light and dark magic running within her, it makes everything harder to control, hence the name 'Falling Star'." Said Cora.

"Is that why I have random outbursts and mood swings?" Mandy asked.

"Yes and before you ask, I don't know how to control it." Cora muttered.

Mandy put her head down and began to cry. "I don't know what to do." She sobbed.

Cora looked at Regina with a blank look on her face. She didn't know what to say, but Regina's motherly instincts took over. She wrapped her arms around Mandy, trying to comfort her.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. We will find a way to control your magic. Everything will be okay. Don't worry." Regina rubbed Mandy's back as she cried into Regina's shoulder. It felt so good to hold her daughter close to her. She has been waiting for this moment for a while. She just wished she wasn't crying.

"Why don't you spend the night, dear? It's late and you look like you need to rest. Besides, I don't want you traveling at night alone." Regina whispered.

"Are you sure?" Mandy sobbed.

"Positive." Regina said, wiping away Mandy's tears. She then sent her upstairs.

"We're not done, mother. I have so many questions and I'm still mad at you!" Regina whispered before going upstairs to help Mandy get settled in, leaving Cora sitting on the couch wrapped up in her thoughts.

I hope you liked this chapter! I would love to know what your thoughts are so far-let me know! Reviews are appreciated:)